Lump of love

Before Elise was born I planned on doing a photo shoot of our family with her as a new born. She's eight week old tomorrow and growing into a big lump of love. Elise is happiest in the morning. After the princess gets her beauty rest her brothers greet her with kisses and lots of hugs. Aidan likes to hold her while he watch cartoons on the couch while I prepare breakfast and stuff their lunch boxes. Both Aidan and Ethan are in love with their sister. They fight over everything else in the house, but when it comes to Elise, they just know to take turns. When she coos Aidan narrates what she could possible be saying. Ethan loves helping out at diaper duty and asks to put the velcro strap on her diaper. He takes her laundry and puts in the proper place without being asked. When I am nursing Aidan and Ethan both bring me a tissue. It's the sweetest thing to watch how they love and care for their baby sister daily. So while the professional photo shoot of our family never happen, the images in these pictures happen everyday.

Ethan's bad morning

The scowl to no Lucky Charms for breakfast.

tres amigos..

2011

Wrapped around her pinky

This little hand tugs on our hear strings.
When she cries at night, Kyle jumps up out of bed as if he's been up the night waiting for her. It's so very sweet.
Aidan and Ethan always fight over her holding their pinky.
Usually one of them holds her in their lap while sitting down and
the other has Elise hold grip their pink.
I can see how she calms them even for just a moment.
This image for ingrained in my mind.

Shhh, beauty sleep in progress

Day two

The best part about being a parent of a new born is taking naps together.

Week two

Little Elise sound asleep while her super hero brothers fly through the house making fighter jet noises.

Week Three

I thought I was getting away with a photo shoot until the phone rang and woke Elise up. This was the first and last shot of the session.

Here's our sleeping beauty once she is well rested. All calm and oh so pretty. I love capturing the changes in her features as she grows.

Lemon Aid

Megan, Tess, Lila, Daniel, Aidan, Ethan, Helena, Tommy, Grace

Can you tell I am playing catch up?

Many picture file folders are sitting on the computer waiting to apear on the blog.

Here's just one set of them.

In July Aidan, Ethan and many freinds held a Lemon Aid stand which raised a whopping $44.

The kids got to vote which charity the funds went to.

It was a 60/40 split between the nature center's gardening program and the animal shelter.

We had the best deal in town.

Thanks to Ethan (who only wanted to eat cookies and sell tattoos)

we operated a one stop refreshment and tattoo parlor.

These gals are so much fun.

Miss. Sandy and Miss. Donna came by to surprise the kids.